snowbike

jenn did a photoshoot for the new IFab Grassroots website she's designing... here are a cpl cool bike pics:

------------------------------------

the weather has been perfect for riding outside. a warm spell turned the dirt roads to muck, but this week temps are back down and the dirt is perfect.

for the past cpl yrs, the winter bike set-up is rigid fork, (studded) Nokian Extreme 2.1 in front, Hakkapelitta 1.95 in the rear w/ultra-light tubes to make climbing enjoyable...

I find riding the mtb on frozen dirt roads is good for the handling skills. Even w/studs the bike handles a bit loose on frozen terrain, pockets of soft snow resemble sand in summer. but getting-on in the winter is great. great to be outside. great to see everything in winter-mode, as you see the landscape so much differently from the saddle, i really soak it in... and i feel sharper in singletrack come spring! but, i got a lot of snowbike time before riding ribbons of dirt...

Clothes and layering are key as usual, lots of thin layers with plenty of zippers and a shell w/pit zips. My usual early winter route is 13.5m w/3000ft of climbing, being able to climb and descend in comfort has taken a while to master, but now that i've gotten the layers figured-out, i'm loving the winter riding! Last winter, my first in Vermont, was a tough learning curve...

enough talking about snowbiking, it's time to get on it!